How We've Fallen
by WishIwasinCamelot
Summary: Nick wasn't all that sure what was happening. It was hot in the hotel room, but he was so cold.
Hello! Like most, I read the Great Gatsby in English-however, Natsby took my entire grade my storm. Hopefully not too OOC, this work is unbeta-ed, please enjoy, and NO flames! :)

* * *

It was so hot. Suffocating the five of us like drowning rats. And yet, the heat was better than this. Better than Gatsby and Tom screaming at each other while Daisy continues a mantra of "I'm so confused". Jordan stands next to me and together we tried leaving the hotel room, but Tom and Gatsby stopped us.

"She's never loved you!" Gatsby declared, all of his previous manners out the window.

Gatsby suddenly crossed the room and Daisy yelped as she got out of the way, but tried desperately to get the two to stop. I told Jordan to get Daisy to the other side of the room, now.

"I'll have you kno-" Tom started, coming closer to Gatsby while clenching his fists. Out of the corner of my eye I noted Jordan got Daisy out of the immediate area. Suddenly, Daisy shrieked and my attention snapped back to Tom and Jay. Tom was holding his jaw with absolute rage in his eyes. To this day, I'll always remember Tom's vengeful eyes. Gatsby stood there proud as can be; but he was wrong. Wrong. Wrong. I was crossing the room as fast I could but time seemed to slow for me. Tom uppercut Jay into the chin then took Jay's right shoulder, turned him and hit him in the stomach. Jordan and Daisy began frantically screaming for them to stop-I'm sure my voice mingled with theirs as well.

"Jay! Tom! Knock it off!" I heard vibrate off the walls, it was my voice but I don't remember saying it. The two had moved from the doorway more into the center of the room, with tea things broken and scattered, a chair already overturned. I grabbed the first body I could, Tom's bicep. I yanked and pulled where I could. I kept repeating myself for the two to stop, to breath. I worked my way between the two and physically pushed Jay away from Tom. Jay fell into the wall. I heard nothing but my heartbeat. Jay looked up into my eyes, and the rage pooling suddenly lifted into something different-something horrific. I turned and saw a blur and then,

Nothing.

"Nick. NO!" Jay screamed, scrambling to stand and get to his best friend. Daisy was sobbing in the background, but that didn't matter to Jay. What mattered was Nick's crumpled form on the hotel floor. What mattered was he wasn't moving. What mattered was Tom was trying touch Nick-after he hurt him.

"Old sport? Nick, goodness please be alright," Gatsby got to Nick's side and knelt in an instant. Suddenly, a hand touched Nick's shoulder. Gatsby's head snapped up to look at the owner of that hand, it was none other than Tom. Tom retracted his hand was if burned, at first he was angry for the look Gatsby gave him, but upon further observation, he became curious.

"Oh God Nick, why did you have to go and do that?" Gatsby muttered as he adjusted to put Nick's bleeding head onto his lap. Daisy and Jordan came over.

"Is he alright? Please tell me darling Nick is alright." Daisy said, kneeling next to Tom and grabbing her dress as tight as possible. Gatsby's blood boiled. How dare she? In a moment like this she finally decides!? Jay sucked in a breath and blinked away the anger, what matters is Nick and his health, not what started this petty thing in the first place.

"What can we do to help?" Jordan said. Jay looked up at the sound of her voice. He saw the pained expression on her face, pulling her skin tight and lip thin. He looked to Tom and Daisy. They, too, held a expression of guilt, pain, and shock. They didn't know what to do to aid their friend.

"He-I," Gatsby looked down at Nick. Tom must've hit him right in the temple, as there was a cut from his wedding ring-it did not appear deep however, it was bleeding heavily. His breathing was not uniformed, which lead Gatsby to believe he hit something on his way down to cause this breathing problem. He quickly looked around. The culprit was the armrest to the couch they were all crouched behind. "I need water and a cloth to clean his head wound. Tom, I'll need your help lifting him onto this here couch. I need to check his ribs, I think he may have bruised one or possibly two."

There was no movement. Jay looked up accusingly, "Well? What are you all waiting for?"

Instantly, the three snapped out of there frozen states and began to do their tasks. Jordan ran into the kitchen for a bowl of water. Daisy went looking for cloth, and a pillow for Nick's head, while Tom grabbed Nick's legs and helped Jay lift him onto the couch.

"Easy now, I don't want to cause him any more injury than he already has." Gatsby said as Tom moved too quickly around the armrest. Tom nodded and obeyed, silent. As soon as the two got Nick settled, Jordan and Daisy rushed back into the room with what they were sent out for. Jay took the supplies and got to work. He prayed he needn't call for an ambulance.

* * *

Nick wasn't all that sure was happening. Daisy and Gatsby were walking out of the hotel, into Gatsby's car. They drove away.

Jordan, Tom and himself came flying out of their car to find that Myrtle was dead. Murdered by a hit and run. The rumor was it was a yellow car

Gatsby's car.

Tom and Daisy were in their house and he was not. He and Gatsby were just outside.

Jordan and him broke up. Over the phone. During work. He was cold. So, so cold.

* * *

Gatsby was trying to clean off the blood. The other three were hanging about in the background. Someone was pacing, their weight creaking across the floor. Nick's face pinched, but before Jay could pull away the cloth, Nick let out a piercing scream.

Jay pulled back as quickly as possible, muttering apologies. Daisy had visibly jumped.

"I-I didn't think I hit him that hard." Tom said, leaning against the back of the couch. He seemed uncomfortable and nervous.

 _Good._ Gatsby thought.

Jordan scoffed, "Please, the two of you showing such concern over him is sickening."

"Jordan? What do you mean?" Daisy inquired.

"If this was different. If Tom hit Gatsby, he wouldn't have cared. If he struck you, Daisy, the two would try to fret over you and end up arguing all over again. The three of you should be ashamed of yourselves." Jordan swiftly left the room, slamming the bedroom door shut.

Silence reigned over the room. Except for the muffled sound of the wedding party below.

* * *

He shouldn't have gone to work. He should've stayed home. Gatsby was lying in the pool water. Blood mixing almost like it could put any modern artist to shame. But it couldn't. Shouldn't. That was his friend!

" _Jay!"_ Nick's scream echoed across the Sound. Another gunshot faded into his scream. His pants as he ran across the lawn. The splash as he went in to get his friend. Hope against hope that he. Wasn't. Late.

The police retched Nick's now limp body away from his friend. His only friend. His best friend. He sobbed.

He sobbed in the empty house.

He wept above the casket. The only thing filled with something in his life.

Nick was back in the Mid-West. But, something was different. Something was wrong. Wrong. He felt numb all over and he could see but not hear. There was a yellow light outside his bedroom window. _Jay._

* * *

An hour had past. Tom went into town to get food. Daisy kept busy doing, well, Jay wasn't certain exactly what she was doing, but as long as she didn't talk to him, he didn't care. Jordan remained in the bedroom.

"I'm back." Tom called into the room, he held onto two bags filled with food and drink. "Is he any better? I'm starting to believe we should, should take him to the hospital."

"No, he'll awake any minute. He almost did a while ago." Jay said stroking Nick's hair off his forehead. The bandage would need to be changed soon, he noted.

Jordan creaked open the door. She meant every word she said. She didn't mean to fall asleep while lying on the bed though. The sight she saw startled her. Tom was sitting in a chair handing out sandwiches and sodas. Daisy went to the kitchen to look for any form of dishes or napkins. And Gatsby? Oh, Nick's head was resting in his lap. He had a faint smirk while he stroked Nick's hair out of his face. Jordan looked at how the circumstances changed them. Gatsby wasn't focused on Daisy. Tom was kind and giving to his wife and Jay. She leaned on the doorframe. The sight would be forever etched into her memory. It was practically perfect.

"Oh Jordan! I'm so glad you're awake! That is if you were in fact sleeping in there. I was going to come and check up on you as soon as Tom arrived, which here he is!" Daisy exclaimed.

Tom and Jay turned towards Jordan, their expressions hiding...smiles. Genuine smiles.

 _Humans are strange creatures, indeed._ Jordan thought was she crossed into the living room where the other four resided in. Tom passed her a sandwich. She realized that she was in fact very hungry, but couldn't bring herself to eat. She looked at Nick. Laying there, breathing normal now, in Jay's lap. Something clicked in Jordan's head.

 _I don't love him._

She became distressed by this thought. She looked down at her hands then back up to Nick.

 _But. Someone else does…_

Jordan looked on while biting into her sandwich. Tom and Daisy were discussing some trivial matters. Jordan shifts her eyes across the room to Jay. The Jay Gatsby was clearly listening to the conversation but did physically nothing to say he actually was. He stared at the man lying on the couch next to him. A groan interrupted the group. Gatsby sat up straighter and the other three came closer to Nick.

"Old Sport? Can you hear me?" Jay asked.

Nick turned his head and groaned again. His eyes fluttered open.

* * *

Staring at white wasn't exactly pleasant. It was dim, wherever he was. His back hurt and his throat was dry, of course those were minor compared to the headache he was sporting. He swallowed.

"-me?" Nick turned his head only to bump his nose into something. Something pink. And warm, cozy warm.

Nick hummed and he started to close his eyes.

"Nick darling? Nap time is over, love." A light voice carried into his head. A woman's voice. It was familiar.

"-think he heard me?"

"Who knows."

"He looks positively looney."

Nick moaned. They were loud!

 _Loud? That's impor-_ the fight. Daisy. Jordan. Tom and Jay. He had to stop them!

Nick suddenly snapped his eyes open and rolled to the left, inching off of Gatsby's lap. Before any of them could stop him, Nick hit the floor with a thud and a cry of pain. The four fumbled to get Nick back onto the couch again. Tom and Jay held onto Nick while Jordan got a bucket ready, just in case. Nick blinked through the blurry images swimming across his field of vision. He was no longer facing the pink thing, but rather a grey and white thing. It resembled a suit. Nick looked up to the face of the person in the suit-Tom. He had a bruise on his lower right cheek. Nick was rather confused. Where was Jordan? And Daisy and Gatsby? Remembering his dream, he panicked. Nick flailed his arms and legs, struggling against himself and whatever was holding him down.

"Nick Carraway, if you don't calm down this instant, I-I'll burn your bonds books!" Jordan yelled, desperately trying to keep him from kneeing Tom in the hip. Needless to say, it worked. Nick stopped struggling, rather weary from the whole ordeal. A glass came to his lips and he was slowly pushed into a sitting position in order to drink it down. Nick drank the entire cup of water in a couple seconds. His vision stopped moving on it's own for him to look at Jordan directly in front of him now, with Tom to his left and Daisy to his right, behind the couch.

"Whe-Where's Jay?" Nick asked. Even to his own ears he sounded pathetically alone, and afraid.

"Old Sport."

Nick straightened his back in shock. He turned towards Tom. But as Tom shook his head at Nick's confusion, Nick spotted Gatsby's pink suit behind him.

"Jay!" Nick exclaimed. Daisy and Jordan finally let go of Nick's legs and Tom stood up. Gatsby smiled at Nick's childish response.

"I'm glad to see you are awake, Old Sport." Jay said smiling.

Nick slowly moved, eager to look face to face with his friend while avoiding the nausea.

It didn't quite work, and Nick ended up on Gatsby's shoulder.

"Slow down Nick. Take your time." Tom said, sitting back down in the chair.

"You're alright?" Nick asked confused. He was still seeing flashes of his friend floating lifelessly in the pool.

No one answered right away. Tom and Gatsby shared a look.

"Yes Nick, I'm quite alright. Nothing a nice, cool bath and a good night's rest wouldn't help."

Nick shuddered at 'bath'.

Tom snorted. "And pain killers. Jay here has a nice left hook."

"Why thank you." Gatsby said to Tom. Nick sat up straight. Something was off. Why were they acting like friends?

"Think you can sit here on your own? I think a walk would help Tom and I. Ladies? Nick?" Jay got up and left with Tom.

Daisy clapped her hands together and plopped next to Nick.

"Oh darling cousin. I'm so glad you are alright. I'm terribly sorry for this afternoon." Daisy said putting her hand on his knee. Nick looked to Jordan. She didn't acknowledge his glance.

"It's alright, Daisy. But can you tell me what is going on?"

"That's my fault Nick. I yelled at the three of them to grow up once you were out for the count." Jordan said picking up her drink.

"And that worked?"

"For the most part. With Jay mothering you, it didn't leave much room for Daisy or Tom to make amends with either you or Jay."

"I apologize, cousin. Our behavior was simply, unbecoming. But I think something good came out of all this."

"And what's that Daisy?"

"I know who I love. And that Jay will be alright."

"What do you mean?"

"He has eyes for someone else, stupid." Jordan said rising, to throw away the trash. Nick was downright confused. Just a moment ago, Hell itself had risen into New York-specifically this very hotel room. Now, everyone was different. Friends. Out of character. Nick couldn't think of anyone that Jay could already be trying to woo. And besides that, Jay simply was too invested in Daisy. How could that be resolved in the course of-how long was he out?

"Oh, don't worry your pretty little head, cousin," Daisy said. "He doesn't quite know himself, I'm sure of it. But," She squeezed his hand, "I truly believe Nick, that we'll all be alright."

Gatsby and Tom reentered claiming that there was another two rooms bought for the night and that they would all go out for breakfast in the morning. Jordan stayed in the room they previously had been in the entire afternoon while Tom and Daisy took one room and Gatsby and Nick took the other.

Nick and Gatsby stumbled to the next room over, saying good-night to the other three. Nick plopped down onto one of the beds and groaned. Gatsby took off his own jacket, putting it on a nearby chair.

"Need any help, old sport?"

"Just with my jacket." Gatsby came over and helped Nick wiggle out of the clinging article.

"Are you in any pain? Anything I can help you with?" Gatsby asked, putting Nick's jacket on the other-side of the same chair.

"I'll live." Nick began to pry off his tie, stopping halfway because he got extremely agitated. He kicked off his shoes and laid down instead. Gatsby worked his way into Nick's field of vision. His brow knit in worry.

"It's been a long day, Gatsby."

"That it has, Old sport, that it has." Jay said attempting to smile despite the day's events. Gatsby moved over to the other side of the room where he took off his tie, shoes and socks. Suddenly Gatsby paused and looked out the window.

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I said, I'm sorry, Nick. I mean it. I was awful this afternoon in my behavior. It was inexcusable. It won't happen again." Nick kept staring at the ceiling.

"Love is a strange thing, Jay."

Gatsby looked up from his shirt buttons to his friend lying on the bed. Jay ran over the afternoon, fully, in his head. There had been the searing, anger against Tom, when fighting for Daisy's hand. But it had disappeared so quickly into pure and utter terror. Nick was in dire trouble and he didn't have time to do anything against it. It hadn't mattered about Daisy or even Tom-just Nick. Then the pure anger was back at Tom, not for Daisy but because Tom hurt Nick. Generous, caring, Nick. Tom has hurt Nick with his own fist then proceeded to touch him with the same hand. Gatsby was rather confused by his own reactions. It became clear in those moments that Daisy unconsciously choose Tom over himself, yet he hadn't cared…?

Gatsby shook his head to clear these thoughts, it simply was all too much for the one day. But Nick's pause and choice of words drew Jay back. If he moved on so quickly, did he ever love Daisy? Was it all just an illusion? He had thought his love was real. But, something new and raw happened in that other room. Something terrifying and exciting.

"Yes, old sport. It is."

Nick smiled and turned to look at Gatsby. Gatsby had taken off his shirt entirely, and placed it with their other personal effects on the chair. Nick soaked up the sight. There was moonlight shining through the curtains onto Gatsby's back, illuminating his outline completely, but the glow of the lamp helped create shadows that really showed off his physical appearance- Athletic build. But in this lighting, it defined Jay's 'trophies' from the fight. A line of missed, dried blood in the corner of his mouth, and a bruise close to his eye. Nick suddenly shuttered due to a chill.

"Oh, Nick, I'm terribly sorry." Jay came striding over and slowly helped Nick sit up. Nick's face fell into Jay's chest. Warmth.

There was laughter. Erupting from Jay's chest, Nick could feel it through his body.

"Nick, my goodness. What would any of us do without you?"

Nick was rather confused. He peered up at Gatsby, who was trying one handed to open the sheets while the other arm held Nick up.

"Why are you laughing?"

Gatsby looked at Nick finally. "Because old sport, you said 'warm' like a happy child."

Nick flushed with embarrassment. Gatsby got Nick to stand up again in order to finish pulling back the covers some more. Nick leaned heavily into Gatsby's side. His bear-chested side.

Gatsby carefully guided Nick back down to the mattress. Suddenly, it was Nick who was giggling.

"What is it, Nick?" Gatsby asked rather amused at his friend's state.

"Bear." The single word brought more giggles from the bondsman. Gatsby bit the inside of his cheek to stop from giggling himself. Goodness, he was lucky to have Nick in his life. As soon as Nick's head hit the pillow, he was passed out. Gatsby checked the new bandage on the cut, it had stopped bleeding about an hour ago, and was satisfied that his friend would be alright.

*****Great Gatsby******

Nick's heart caught in his throat. His flailed his arms and bolted into the sitting position. He was gasping for breath and tears stung his eyes and cheeks. His breathing slowed to normal and he glanced around the moonlit room. Jay had his back towards him, but at least he was asleep. Nick buried his head in his hands. But struggled to keep the yelp muffled as his fingers poked his sensitive wound.

"J-Jay?" Nick whispered. Silence. Nick sighed.

"Jay, I think I love you." Nick said looking at his sleeping friend, who knew nothing about Nick's dream-no night terror. Nick choked out a sob, breathed through it and laid back down. He soon fell asleep to thoughts of Jay holding him close, like before.

Jay laid there looking at the moon through the curtain. It broke Jay's heart that he couldn't comfort Nick. But he stared up at the full moon.

"I think I love you too, Nicky."

* * *

And there you have it!


End file.
